Celebrate
The Summer With Organic Beer
(Beyond Pesticides, July 12, 2006) Sales of organic
beer have more than doubled in the last three years, growing 40% in
2005 alone, according to the Organic
Trade Association. This ties beer with coffee as the fastest growing
organic beverage. Small independent brewers like Butte
Creek Brewing Co. in Chico, California, and Otter
Creek Brewing in Middlebury, Vermont have dominated the market for
years, but as the demand rises large corporate brewing companies are
eager to get in game.

According to an article in the Herald
Daily News, “Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc. launched its organic
beers in March and April in several test markets nationwide. You won‘t
find the Budweiser name on the bottles; instead, you‘ll find the
Green Valley Brewing Co. name on the Wild Hop packaging, and the Crooked
Creek Brewing Co. on the Stone Mill products.”

Some organic producers have raised concerns that the organic beer market
will face challenges as large corporations become major producers. They
worry that corporate pressure on government agencies could lead to more
relaxed organic standards; a problem organic producers have already
been facing recently.

Despite these concerns Morgan Wolaver, CEO of Otter Creek Brewing, continues
to be optimistic about the future of organic beer. “The market
will continue to grow,” Wolaver said. “The generation coming
out of college up to age 35 is especially concerned with what‘s
around them. They realize that they have power with how we spend our
money.”